4:52 {never give up}

Never, never, never give up. -Winston Churchill

Valentines Day is coming up soon and I promised to take pictures of the children in one of the preschool classrooms I work in for part of a project.  In preparation and thinking about what I could do creatively I "stole" a few ideas from pinterest.  As any of you who are 'pinners' may know, not all that is posted works out.  I wanted to try the floating hearts idea as a backdrop and try it here first at home before photographing the students.  Here is a compilation of my attempts. 

[I'm learning four legged animals are not the best subjects to shoot]

I think I'll slink 'outta' here.  And what are these things hanging in my space?

Shoot!  I didn't make it and now I'm sitting in my bed.  UGH!

I think I can just jump down from here...

Alright, alright!  I'll even make a heart between my front legs and chest for you.

The final edit- abstract is the category it would fit in.

If there was one thing I could have known as I re-initiated my hobby of photography after about a 10 year lul- it would be to never give up, there are going to be dips in learning, times you get stuck in a rut; however persistence and concerted efforts pay off with each new learning curve you enter into. 

Head on over to Leann's to see what she doesn't give up on.

3:52 {takes your breath away}

For this week's Project 52 Motivational Monday's quote we have...

be forewarned... I have a dry sense of humor.

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away." -Author Unknown

Running takes my breath away...

The moment I put running shoes on for the purposes of running I have anxious thoughts about how long my life will last.  I have flashbacks to running 5Ks in which I was gasping for breath, holding my regular inhaler in one hand and a steroid inhaler in the other, wondering if I'll cross the finish line via ambulance or Saucony running shoes.  I've come to understand that despite my many efforts to transform myself into a runner in attempts to experience the proverbial "runners high", I will never be a runner.

With all seriousness now, there are a variety of things that take my breath away that unfortunately I was unable to shoot any of them this week.  A few of them are:

• a moon rise
• a sunset/sunrise
• babies feet
• the look that a baby gives it's mother when being held or fed
• music (I haven't figured out how to photograph music notes in the air yet)
• a big fat cheese looking full moon
• waterfalls
• and the list is endless.

I'm connecting up to Leann again this week.  

2:52 {With a new day...}

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts."

The essence of this quote being that it's never too late to change one's thoughts, views, perspectives, attitudes, and so on.  One of my favorite sayings that epitomizes the jest of Eleanor Roosevelt's quote comes from a colleague of mine and it is that, "It's never to late to start the day over."

Some days you wake up in a fog, unsure of your direction for the day.

As the fog clears, and you do your best to regroup your thoughts, you may notice you're feeling a little "harried" and not quite ready to meet the world with directness.

Then someone fills your emotional bucket with a "warm fuzzy".

I feel loved when we play with "Squeekers"

Making it that much easier to be content, positive, and happy with life as it is.

My favorite perch

While Nadia (the white fluffy dog pictured above) doesn't have the cognitive abilities to 'think' about thoughts, she like humans occasionally needs a pick me up to embrace the day with courage and strength.  Back to the thought that it's never too late to start the day over, often times I find that my Eleanor Roosevelt strength and creativity for each day comes not at the moment I wake up but rather after I've had time to process the upcoming events of the day and have had time to enjoy a great cup of...

coffee.

And even sometimes then... my "new" day starts when I can sit down with a cozy blanket and my fluffy white dog at the END of a day to reflect on the events of the day.  The reflection allows for a start over the next day with more positive thoughts.

Head on over to Leann's to see her take on Eleanor Roosevelt's strength and thoughts.

that's how...

While working within my Articulation classroom this week I was working with on student on the produce of the /L/ phoneme in the initial, medial, and final positions of words.  I was SO proud of this student as it has been very difficult in the past.  As we were going through an L word list she was saying: "lake, lime, leg, lamb" then we got to the word 'llama' in which she said, "yama".  I paused and looked at her funny and she busted up laughing and said, "That's how I say it in Spanish!!"

bad bad deal

While eating snack in a preschool classroom today a 4 year old student sighed and said, "Teacher Rachael, I still have a cough." I replied sympathetically, "Oh, that is such a bummer." To which she responded, "No!  It's just a really bad bad deal."

It's January 1st...

It's the day in common American society in which thousands of people make new promises to themselves.  Filled with renewed energy and intrinsic motivation, (which for most people, it will last maybe two weeks) they run to the gym, make efforts to be more positive, get and stay organized, watch what they eat, and the list goes on.  None of these activities are bad nor am I intending negativity towards the tradition of creating new resolutions, I'm simply blogging on a day which hasn't been the best for me.

I actually made resolutions at the beginning of the 2013/2014 school year.  It was to "keep all things real, positive, and inspiring".  It has gone well for the most part.  As with any goal or target there are times we are walking beside the wagon instead of riding.  Today was one of them: as described with my interaction with a total stranger.

Driving back from my Holiday break I had the opportunity to have my sister Jodi ride with me from Michigan to Minnesota.  I wanted to stop at Tobies, the infamous cinnamon roll place, to buy a roll for her to try.  As I pulled into the parking lot I was awed by the busyness of the restaurant.  In a quick scan for a parking spot I didn't see any so I asked Jodi to take over the wheel while I ran in.  In order to do this I needed to quickly park the car and switch drivers.  The only place to do this without holding up other cars, was in a Handicap parking spot.  Not the best choice but the switch would be quick and she'd be out of the spot in no time.  In the process of doing so, two gentlemen walk up from behind the vehicle and clearly note I do NOT have a handicap license plate, and continue to walk around the car to see if I have a permit hanging on my mirror in which, of course, I do not. One gentleman continues to glare at me while making comments about me being in a handicap parking spot, as I get out of the car.  Me, irritated by the situation as he still stares me down said to him, "I read lips." (which in truthfulness I read half of what he said).  He said, "You do! So then you ARE handicapped". To which I was tempted to say, "Yes. Mentally." but I actually replied, "Clearly not!  She's moving the vehicle."

The situation was real, it was not positive, nor do I think the man was inspired by my remarks.  So, in encouragement of others who are creating new resolutions I would want to inspire you, not beat yourself up on the days such as mine today.  But rather to recognize the days that you don't follow the resolutions as a reality of life and also as opportunities to keep moving in the direction you desire.  Let it not be a permanent fall off the wagon.

sarcastic humor to go with the day